"Hey. Are you okay with doing this? Also, are you even supposed to be telling me this?"
Shin walked up the steps to the Furude Manor with Kureha and Ravel in tow. He had happened upon the two shopping for souvenirs in Serikawa Village so he decided to tag along. Thanks to their advice, Ravel was able to get a few souvenirs for her parents and older brothers. She also bought a charm of good health for her mother. That last one almost made Shin laugh. Devils rarely got sick and the only forms of sickness that they had to be worried about were dragon pox and sleeping disease.
"Yeah, well, you two are going to find out. Ravel is going to be our ref this year since I'm 100% sure that Onee will want to be alone with Riser," Shin said.
"I can't believe my brother is going to propose. To my teacher of all people! I… How long have you known this?" Ravel asked.
"About two days. Riser wanted me to keep it on the down low. Yubelluna already got the ring from the house and delivered it to Riser so everyone, just play it cool. My parents don't even know about this and you know how bad Dad is at keeping surprises," Shin said, looking in Kureha's direction.
"You're referring to his birthday gift to Mom, aren't you?" Kureha said.
"Birthday gift?" Ravel asked.
"Well, long story short, Dad wanted to get Aunt Ayaka something for her birthday and wished to make it a surprise. He couldn't," Shin said.
"Your mom got really mad when she saw what it was," Kureha said.
"Yeah… Dad slept on the couch for a few days after that," he said, scratching his cheek.
"Okay, so when are we going to do your match then?" Ravel asked.
"I was thinking after the Festival just before we leave. Kureha and I-"
"Kureha-nee-chan," Kureha corrected.
Shin sighed. He felt a small headache coming on and fought to repress it. This would only be for a few more days. Kureha would soon be calling him the older one for the next year and hopefully next year as well. Once he finished chipping off this last slag of rust off his body as his sister called it, he would be able to comfortably set a winning streak.
"Kureha… nee-chan. God, the first thing I'm gonna do after I win is establish a win streak," Shin said.
"Hah? Win streak? Are you that confident that you can win next year too?" Kureha challenged.
"Of course, Do you know who my sister is? By next year, I can beat you into the ground easy peasy," Shin said.
"Are you two seriously going to fight right here right now?" Ravel asked.
"Of course, Shin-chan is presenting me with a challenge. Why should I not accept?" Kureha said.
Kureha's left eye flashed dangerously. Her sclera bled into a black color and her normally golden-hazel eyes took on a deadly violet hue. A faint shroud of touki began to radiate from her body, bathing her in a faint violet light.
Shin responded in kind. His eyes began to glow blue as divine-laced touki began to leak out of his body, covering him in a faint translucent aura.
"Guys, we're on the stairs. If you two fought, you'd level the stairs along with a chunk of the bamboo forest here," Ravel said.
Kureha closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. The violet aura faded into nothingness and she walked past them.
"Look, I can do it later. It'll make the match more worthwhile but I won't wait until after the Festival. At the very least, I can wait until we finish the Ryuugami Kagura and Aka-nee gets proposed to by Riser," Kureha said, glancing over her shoulder.
"I can live with that. How about you, Ravel?" Shin said.
Ravel sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"As long as you two muscle heads don't level the stairs right now, then by all means, decide the venue and time of your duel," she said.
"The ref says she's fine with it, Shin," Kureha said.
"I can hear her. She's literally standing next to me," Shin said.
"Hmph."
The three began walking up the stairs once more.
"Hey, by the way, can you touch up my bow?" she asked.
"Bow? The enchantments I put on there should still be working," Shin said.
"No, I mean replace the string. I kind of… broke it," Kureha confessed.
"Broke it!? What the… I had to custom order those fibers because you decided to upgrade your bow to a compound bow!" Shin said.
"Er… I was out hunting in the woods a few weeks before you guys got here and…" she whispered the last part.
"What? What happened?" he asked.
"Well, I kind of snapped it in half by pulling back too hard," Kureha admitted.
"Ugh. Fine. You're lucky I memorized the string so I can just remake it with Reconstruction. But I'll work on it later. I think Vivi wants to talk to me about something tonight which is why she decided to go back to the house first with Ran," Shin said.
"You use a bow?" Ravel asked.
"Er… sometimes. I'm in the archery club at St. Freya's and compete in kyudo competitions regularly. But, I can use a katana, gun, and fight unarmed like any member of the Furude Clan," Kureha said.
"You're just like Shin," Ravel said.
"Only difference between me and Kureha is that I'm a better shot," Shin said.
"Says who?" Kureha asked incredulously.
"Says my record. I distinctly recall having hit more bull's eyes than you the last time we went to a range," he said, reminding her of his victory.
Though, he also remembered that he only won by a very slight margin. If Kureha ever wanted, she could join the army and become a very prolific sniper. Shin had no doubt that if she ever became a sniper, Kureha could probably pick off an entire army of men had she had the ammo.
"Bull shit! Even Aka-nee said that it didn't count because you were modifying the bow to have Failnacht's Zero Swing!" she said.
"What? Onee never said that! Even Auntie Ayaka said I won!" Shin said.
"Okay, that's enough! Jeez, do you two ever stop fighting?" Ravel asked.
Kureha and Shin glared at each other one last time as they approached the front gate of the manor.
Ravel sighed and placed her hand on the gate. However, the moment her hand touched the aged wood, her entire body froze. Her instincts began going haywire and her hand flattened into a knife-hand.
"Mm? Ravel? Are you-" Shin's body stiffened when he sensed it.
His eyes swiveled over to Kureha, who had also been rooted to her spot. Her fingers were twitching, prepared to lash out with murderous intent.
There was no mistake. The thing they had all sensed behind the gate. It was unmistakable. A feeling that all three of them had been familiar with. Whether it be from a Youkai, a Cadre from the Grigori, or the Goddess of Order and Chaos herself. All of them had faced the same sensation.
Bloodlust.
Shin nodded to Ravel, who had seemingly understood his intent without needing to look over her shoulder.
In one swift motion, Ravel raised her leg and kicked the door open.
The results were instantaneous.
The figure behind the door had been thrown back a considerable distance before landing on the ground.
A group of robed figures awaited them behind the door. All of them wielded various weapons ranging from swords to talismans.
"Go!" Ravel yelled. Fire engulfed her hands and she shot forward.
"Void Rending Bullet!"
A blue bullet flew towards Ravel at high speeds. However, it hit nothing but air. Ravel had flashed out of the trajectory of the projectile and reappeared above the assailant. She brought her hands down in a downward x-slash, killing the cultist instantly.
The cultists all surrounded Ravel or attempted to but were routed by a series of blue and violet bullets.
"Shin! I'll handle the cover fire! Go help Ravel!" Kureha yelled.
"Got it!" Shin replied. He disappeared from his spot.
Kureha pulled two black talismans from her sleeve. "Tenka! Help me out!"
"Of course, Master. I'll be providing cover fire for you-"
No, go find out if there are more!
Tenka manifested on Kureha's shoulder and hopped off before darting towards the main house.
"Gokuengenpu: Homusubi!" Kureha yelled.
Her left eye's sclera slowly turned black and her hazel-gold eye shifted colors to violet.
In a split second, two cultists were reduced to piles of flesh. "Taiyogenpu: Hirume. Reconstruct: Failnacht." Shin spun Failnacht in his left hand and gripped Hirume tightly in his right and fired at the cultists surrounding Ravel.
"Shin! On your right!" Ravel said. She threw her hand up and fired a large fireball that swallowed an ethereal kitsune.
"Thanks!" Shin said.
"Shin!" Kureha appeared next to him and held her pistols up as more cultists advanced. "More are coming."
"I guess this is a good time to… practice on live targets to see if it holds up," Shin said, pointing Hirume at one of the advancing cultists. The sword burst into black flames before returning to its original state.
Shin pocketed the black talisman and constructed another Failnacht pistol in his remaining free hand.
"What are you…"
"Sousei Onigari-Ryu," Shin muttered. "Colt."
He kicked off from his spot, displacing a large amount of dust in the process. His speed increased and he vanished from the line of sight of the robed figures.
He reappeared within the lead assailant's personal bubble and kicked him in the chin, sending him flying off the ground.
Shin aimed one of his pistols straight at the torso of the cultist and fired six rapid shots, all of which hit home and pierced through his abdomen.
The cultist fell to the ground, bleeding from his torso.
"Sousei Onigari-Ryu…"
"Don't let him move!" one of them yelled.
"Repeater." Shin dodged a sword swing and fired a series of consecutive shots at the attacker.
He evaded another swing and fired more shots at the attacker on his left.
Shin jumped back and landed a distance away. "I never said for you guys to just stand there and watch!"
"You seemed to be having fun!" Ravel yelled. "But… I can't let you have all the fun. My pride as your sister's student won't let me do that as does my pride as a member of House Phenex."
"Haahh… does everyone that Aka-nee trains turn into bloodthirsty monsters?" Kureha lamented.
However, a grin spread across her face. "I guess I can't talk. The Furude Family's history is one that is tainted with blood after all."
"Onigari-Ryu…"
"Onigari Ryu…"
"Colt!"
"Seiso!"
Kureha and Ravel unleashed both of their attacks at the same time. A hail of violet flaming bullets fired from Homusubi while Ravel unleashed a flurry of flaming waves from her hands.
The bullets and waves tore up the ground and surroundings, reducing the front yard of the Furude Manor into a scorched battlefield.
"Hey! You could have hit me!" Shin said, waving his fist behind a hastily erected Perfect Cube.
"Oops. My bad. Anyway, looks like they're retreating for now," Kureha said, seeing the cultists retreat.
"What? We need to-"
"What we need to do is see if everyone is alright," Ravel said. "We don't know if there are more inside the house. Is anyone home?"
"Well, Onee and Riser went off to have some alone time and Asia is in the woods behind the manor. I think she should be back by now…" Shin's heart pounded inside his chest as the thought of Asia lying in a pool of blood inside the house entered his mind.
He sprinted to the front door, nearly knocking over Ravel and Kureha in the process.
"Asia!" Shin yelled.
"Damnit, Shin!" Ravel ran after him.
Kureha gripped Homusubi tightly and took off after both of them.
"Asia!" Shin yelled.
The sound of barking alerted him as he saw Ran bounding towards him. She had blood on her fur but no visible wounds. Behind her was a scene of pure carnage. There were scorched bodies littered all over the living room along with incinerated furniture mixed with the smell of ash and charred flesh.
"They're inside too. We need to find Asia," Shin said.
"Agreed. I think she's-"
The three froze when the sound of metal clashing with metal entered their ears. The sound appeared to be coming from the training yard. Nodding to each other, they wasted no time and began running towards the training area.
Asia grit her teeth as she held off the katana of one of the robed figures. She kicked him back before jumping into the air and holding two fingers in front of her face.
"Void Rending Bullet!" she chanted.
Luminescent blue spheres of condensed air formed around her. She pointed towards the cultists and fired them at high speeds, impacting the ground and causing them to scatter.
The impact ruptured the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust that engulfed a large portion of the training yard.
Asia held her light katana tightly, scanning her surroundings for any sign of movement. Her eyes darted to her left, right, and forward.
Suddenly, a figure burst from the smoke and dashed towards her, using Shinsoku to flash to different areas as he made his way to her.
Asia clenched her jaw and held her light sword to her side. She widened her stance and took a deep breath.
The cultist's bloodlust engulfed her entire body and she opened her eyes, focusing on his movements.
The moment his sword arced towards her, Asia shot forward at extreme speeds that surprised even the other cultists watching the fight. She had simply blurred into a streak of yellow and reappeared behind their comrade.
"Onigari-Ryu: Setsudan."
A spray of blood erupted from the cultist behind her as he dropped to the ground, gurgling on his own blood. Asia's light sword had sliced into the flesh of his upper torso and his throat, leaving his head hanging by the thread of a few ligaments on his neck.
I… Later… later… later… later…. She repeated to herself.
The realization that she had just taken someone's life for the first time began setting in. But she could not afford to freeze up in the heat of combat. It was either him or her. She had no choice.
I had no choice.
I had no choice.
I wanted to live.
She tried rationalizing it to herself.
But as her thoughts flew through her head, the other cultists rushed at her. They were determined to end her meager existence as retribution for their fallen comrade.
As they darted toward her, spells and blades all intent on ending her life, they were beaten back by a wave of compressed air that tore the ground before them. The sheer force of the impact shook the entire hill, where the manor was built, violently.
"Asia! Get a grip!" Mori said, standing in front of her.
A gleaming black katana with no guard was held in her hands. The weapon radiated an immense level of power. Power that nearly drove the remaining cultists away in fear. However, Mori's appearance abated that fear to a tolerable level.
"M- Mori?" Asia stuttered.
"Get a grip! Do you want to die here!?" she asked.
"I… I just killed someone-"
"It was either you or him. You can mourn the fallen later. Right now, we need to fight back against these people!" Mori said, gripping the black katana tightly.
Asia bit her cheek before slapping her cheeks. She created another light katana and widened her stance once more.
Her fragmented halo appeared above her head along with her silver wings.
Her green eyes dulled as she focused on the battle before her.
Master… to think that…
Mori glared at the cultists. Her eyes turned red as she prepared to attack them.
However, before she could, their opponents were riddled with bullet holes.
"Asia!"
"Onii…?" Asia whispered.
A gleaming silver flash sliced through the crowd, reducing a few of them into piles of flesh. A vortex of flames engulfed another while a series of violet flaming bullets pierced through the rest.
The remaining cultists surrounding Asia all backed away upon seeing Shin, Kureha, and Ravel bursting through the house.
"Ran!" Shin called out.
A swirl of black flames appeared in the middle of the ruined training field. Ran walked out of the vortex, her eyes glowing with a baleful light and a black aura surrounding her body.
The cultists stood their ground for a few seconds before one of them scoffed.
"There's not much more we can do here. We need to go," the robed man said.
"But the Sire said that-"
"We need to regroup," he said, effectively silencing his compatriots. "We've lost too many people trying to take the outsider."
His comrade nodded and slipped a talisman out of her sleeve.
Shin's eyes widened. He quickly drew Failnacht and pressed the trigger.
However, the cultists all grouped around the talisman-wielding woman. A multi-layered barrier formed around them, blocking the shot from Failnacht. Yet, the bolt began slowly piercing through the barrier one by one.
But, the time between the bolt shattering all the barriers and the woman casting the talisman was all they needed.
A flash of violet light appeared beneath them and the group of cultists disappeared just as the bolt pierced through the final barrier.
The bolt hit the wall behind, pierced through, and reduced it to rubble.
"Tch! They got away again," Shin said, dispelling Failnacht. "Asia, are you…"
It was only now that Shin noticed the presence of another. Next to Asia was a girl with violet hair and a pair of black horns. One of her horns was cracked and she wore an outfit similar to that of a miko from the Ryuugami Shrine.
And despite her deceptively meek appearance, Shin could sense that this girl's power was far above his. It's not that her power was particularly dark nor foul but rather, her power was enough to invoke a fear response within his body.
And upon instinct, Shin pointed Hirume at the girl, eyeing her cautiously.
"W- Wait! Onii, it's not what you think!" Asia got in front of Mori and held her arms out defensively.
"Asia, I don't know what's going on but you need to get away from that girl. Her power… it's not normal," Shin said.
"Of course, it's not normal! She's a spirit-"
"Not a spirit," Kureha said. Her left eye glowed intensely as she gauged Mori. "A Dragon…"
"A Dragon?" Asia turned her gaze to Mori.
"Asia, that girl. She's your Shikigami, isn't she?" Kureha said.
"Shikigami?" Shin turned to Kureha.
"I found Asia holding a Black Talisman a couple of days ago. I told her I could help her conjure a Mystic Gear and taught her the process to go about doing it. She talked to her to but only in the way I see you and Ran talking from time to time or how I talk to Tenka and V," Kureha explained.
"So that girl is a Dragon? And Asia's Shikigami?" Ravel asked. "I don't remember being told that a Dragon lives in the forests of Mount Benizakura unless…"
Mori stepped forward, walking past Asia, and stopped mere centimeters from the tip of Hirume's blade.
Shin instinctively took a step back while Ran got in between Mori and Shin.
"As your sister said, I am her Shikigami. I met her the day you all arrived here in the village. The day you decided to take her into the Forests of Mount Benizakura to seek a Shikigami for her. Though, judging by your look, I'd say it's not the part about me being her Shikigami that bothers you, isn't it?" Mori said.
Shin clenched his jaw and lowered Hirume.
"Asia, why didn't you tell us?" Shin asked.
"Because…"
"Because? Did you not trust us enough to help you?" Shin asked.
"It's not like that! It's not like that at all!" Asia said loudly. Her rather loud tone caught Shin off-guard.
"Then, why?" Shin asked.
"I… I don't want to be a burden to you and Onee. That's why I hid this. I wanted to work on this and show both of you. To prove myself to both of you. I'm always the one getting saved. I'm always the one relying on other people. Issei. You. Onee. Sophia. I want to prove that I'm also a member of this family too! I can stand next to you guys!" Asia said.
"I want you to rely on me too! I want to prove that I can help you! If I can… If I can just show it to all of you, then maybe I can stay here. Being given this… something that I've wanted since I was just a child, I'm afraid that if I can't prove the fact that I'm a Faulkner. A Furude. Then, I'd get cast aside. Maybe it's just me being insecure about myself or maybe you can call me selfish but-"
Asia's words were stopped when she felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her.
"Asia, I'm sorry," Shin said.
"E- Eh? For what?" she asked.
"I… I didn't even notice what you were going through. Onee and I were so wrapped up in our own problems that we didn't even notice how you felt." Shin pulled away from the hug and firmly gripped Asia's shoulders.
"W- Wait! It's not your fault! It's my fault for not expressing how I felt!" Asia said.
"No, you shouldn't have to. We should've noticed and been there for you every step of the way. Instead, Onee and I ran off into the woods and left you here alone in the house," he said.
"Onii… I… I don't blame you. You were going through your own things and I-"
"Asia, you shouldn't be afraid to tell us how you feel. But Asia, you… you are one of us. You're just as much Faulkner and Furude even if you're not related. We're your family, Asia," Shin said. "There's nothing you have to prove to us-"
Shin's eyes widened as soon as the words came out of his mouth. These words. These were the exact same words that his older sister had told him. Words that Riser had told him just a few days ago and yet here he was, telling Asia the same thing.
Hah… I really am a hypocrite. I'm telling Asia that she has nothing to prove… that she's not a burden yet…
"Onii?"
Shin looked down and saw Asia staring at him.
"Anyway, there's nothing you have to prove to us and we know you can take care of yourself. We did train you after all. So… please, rely on us just like we rely on you," Shin said.
"Onii… I…"
"I knew something went wrong when those idiots came back without the girl."
Everything came to a grinding halt when his voice echoed through the training yard.
"I didn't waste that much touki breaking Akane's barrier just to waste my time like this. Though, I should've learned that delegating a kidnapping to a bunch of grunts was a mistake. Hah, what kind of situation did I land myself in?"
They all turned around to see Yasuo leaning on the doorpost, checking his nails. Rather than wearing his regular civilian attire, he wore black exorcist robes with the kanji for "End" embroidered into the center of the attire. He got off the post and took a step forward.
Shin got in front of Asia protectively, holding his arm out.
"What are you doing here, Yasuo?" Kureha asked, pointing Homusubi at him.
"Hmm? Well, I don't think I need to explain it to you. Seeing me wear these robes must have given it away at this point," he said, shrugging.
"Shuen. He's part of Shuen," Ravel said.
"Thank you for stating the obvious. But enough of that. Hand over the girl," Yasuo said.
"Why should we?" Shin asked.
"You should really take my offer. I am showing you mercy due to the fact that you possess the blood of Akatsuki Furude inside you. That girl has no connection to our village. To our family. She's just an addition that your parents took pity on when you told them her sob story," Yasuo said.
"You… How dare you!" Shin said.
He gripped Hirume tightly and widened his stance. His blood boiled at the thought of this man insulting Asia so blatantly in front of him.
"Am I not wrong?" Yasuo asked, "So why not lift yourself of the burden that is her?"
"You. You're really trying to piss us off, aren't you?" Kureha said, resting her finger on Homusubi's trigger.
"I really don't want to spill any Furude Blood, as tainted as the two of you might be. The blood of our family still runs through your veins. My ancestor and Ouka were of the same family despite our Families having different names," he said, unfazed by Kureha and Shin's threats.
"Shin, Kureha. This is the type of idiot that doesn't listen to reason. We can't deal with him the normal way," Ravel said.
Embers flickered around her fingers as she readied herself for the inevitable fight.
Neither side would concede to the demands of the other.
And both sides knew that.
Yasuo sighed. He summoned a pair of talismans from within his sleeves and held them up.
"Asia-"
"I can fight."
Shin said nothing in response and nodded instead.
Asia created a light katana and held it in front of her.
"Raiteigenpu: Inazuma and Narukami. Come forth at once."
Yasuo threw the talismans before him, creating two sigils. He thrust both hands forward, encasing his arms in a shroud of blue light. The light glowed brightly before dying down and forming two gauntlets, a violet one and blue one respectively. The gauntlets appeared to be fused to his flesh, being exoskeletal in nature with talons. Electricity crackled around them and ionized the surrounding air.
"Watch his movements. He may not be holding a sword but he's a master at using the unarmed techniques of the Onigari-Ryuu. And his Mystic Gear… has the ability to control electricity. You may have fought and survived strong opponents but even that will hurt," Kureha said.
The others nodded and prepared for a fight.
"I guess I really do have to do everything around here," Yasuo said.
He shifted his heel slightly on the ground before disappearing in a burst of speed.
"He's…" Shin's eyes scanned his surroundings.
Their opponent was extremely agile. To be able to move like that without using Senko or Shinsoku.
"You… are all still half-baked…"
Shin's eyes widened. He quickly turned, grabbing Asia and throwing her behind him.
He brought his arm up in time, blocking the oncoming fist of Yasuo.
"Oh? I'm impressed but then again, as the son of Akari Furude, you did manage to inherit some of her prodigious skill. To think that you could anticipate where I came from," Yasuo said.
"Stop peacocking," Shin said.
He struggled to push back against the man. He's enhancing his strength with touki. If that's the case then…
Shin brought his leg up and kicked Yasuo in the side, causing him to stumble and lose his grip. Afterward, Shin jumped back, gaining some distance from him.
He's strong but he's not as strong as Kokabiel or Yaldabaoth. But still, he thought.
Yasuo straightened himself and stretched his neck. "Well then…"
He jumped, avoiding a flaming swipe from Ravel. Yasuo thrust his palm forward, sending a wave of compressed ionized air at the young devil.
Ravel clicked her tongue before deftly evading the attack.
The compressed air ruptured the ground, producing a large crater where it hit.
"There are three of us here…"
Yasuo's eyes widened when he heard Kureha's voice behind him. He spun quickly, blocking her jab in time. However, he felt the barrel of Homusubi pressed against his abdomen.
"Bang." was all Kureha said before pressing the trigger.
A loud shot rang out through the house as the bullet left the barrel, piercing through Yasuo.
But his body faded into thin air as if he were a mirage.
Yasuo appeared on the ground a distance away from the four, eyeing them carefully.
"Senko," Kureha said, landing on the ground. "You used a movement technique at the last minute when I fired."
"Hmph. It looks like I've been holding back on you kids just because we were related. I guess… since you four are hellbent on killing me then there's no reason for me to hold back. I will take the girl. She is not of our blood and she will make a great sacrifice to the Divine Dragon," Yasuo said.
"Shin. Get ready," Kureha said.
"Yeah, I got you," he replied.
Yasuo adopted a lunging position with one leg stretched out and another curled up to his chest. He placed his hands on the ground, tensing his abdominal muscles and legs before shooting forward at Kureha.
Kureha's left eye glowed as she raised her arms in time. An ethereal barrier appeared around her body, encasing her in a massive rib cage.
Her eyes were wide in surprise and near horror when she saw Yasuo's metallic talons mere centimeters from her eye.
"Like I said, no more games," the older man said. He pulled his hand back and was about to pierce through the barrier when Shin rammed into him, sending him sliding across the field.
"Onigari-Ryu: Hikarigiri!" Shin slashed the air, sending several flaming sword waves at Yasuo.
Yasuo stepped around them, avoiding them with expert precision before following up with a counter. He punched the air in front of him, sending ionized spheres of compressed air at Shin.
"Perfect Cube!"
A violet barrier appeared in front of Shin, blocking the attacks yet the force of the impact shook the ground violently and sent Shin sliding back a little.
"Haaah!" Ravel appeared above Yasuo and brought her hand down, striking the ground below. Her attack split the ground open as a searing wave of flames was expelled.
"Hoh? A devil that can use the Onigari-Ryuu? It seems that there is a lot to fix," he muttered, having narrowly avoided Ravel's attack.
Ravel clicked her tongue and tried to escape his reach. Yet, the exorcist was faster. He thrust his palm, striking Ravel in the abdomen.
"Onigari-Ryu: Chimamire Hana."
The effect was almost instant to the point that no one bar Yasuo was able to see it happen. A shockwave traveled through Ravel in a span that could be described as less than even a millisecond. The air and ground behind her were displaced as if some random beast had barreled through it.
And the physical effect it had on Ravel was palpable. The pain set in not a few moments later. Every muscle in her abdomen had been shredded and despite her Phenex Regeneration, it would take her a short while before her body was healed. Yet the sensation of the pain would remain.
She flew through the air at rapid speeds, crashing through the wall of the house.
"Master, wait!" Mori said.
"RAVEL" Asia yelled. She ground her teeth before shooting forward, light katana held to her side.
"Onigari-Ryuu: Senkoki!" Asia jumped into the air before performing a downward sword thrust toward Yasuo, amplifying her speed with her divine power.
"Mmm?" Yasuo saw the oncoming tip of Asia's light katana and caught it between his hands.
A massive shockwave exploded from between them, shattering the ground beneath and kicking up a massive gale that forced Shin, Kureha, and Ran back.
"Not bad," Yasuo said. "Not bad at all, but… you're still no Furude. With you gone, I can finally restore the village to its former glory. A paradise for the pure-blooded children of Akatsuki Furude!"
"You're just going to destroy it!" Asia growled.
He wrenched his arm to the side, pulling Asia with him and shattering the blade.
The sound of her blade shattering took Asia by surprise. And that one instant was all Yasuo needed to attack.
"Onigari-Ryuu: Seiken." He flattened his hand into a blade and performed a half-spiral, intent on incapacitating if not outright crippling Asia by slicing off her legs.
However, his hand sliced nothing but air.
Yasuo slowly turned his head to see Asia standing next to Shin.
A jittering aquamarine orb orbited around them. Shin made a few motions with his hand.
"Exterminate Ray!"
A burst of violet energy fired at Yasuo, traveling at speeds faster than the unaided eye can see.
Yet, Yasuo didn't need to see it. His body could feel the oncoming danger and responded accordingly. He ducked to the left before rushing towards Shin and Asia with terrifying speed.
However, he was forced to evade, jumping into the air as a spike of black and violet flames erupted from the ground.
"You're becoming really annoying! Just hand over the girl! Think of how wonderful it would be to have a paradise where we can reclaim our former glory! We can surpass the Five Principal Clans once more and overthrow the Tsuchimikado Family from their thrones!" Yasuo yelled.
"And you're going to do it by murdering hundreds of innocent people!? You're insane!" Shin yelled.
Several automatic turrets manifested behind him. An onslaught of blue energy bolts fired, all intended on shredding Yasuo into nothing but a bullet-riddled slab of meat.
"Iron Wall Talisman! Come forth at once!" Yasuo chanted.
A blue barrier appeared around him, defending him from Shin's bullet storm.
"Asia! Kureha!"
"!?" Yasuo's eyes widened when the two appeared, amidst the storm of energy bullets.
"Onigari-Ryuu: Seiso Entei!"
"Onigari-Ryuu: Tsujigiri!"
Kureha and Asia unleashed both of their attacks at once.
Kureha thrust her blade hand, which was coated in black and violet flames, forward at Yasuo's barrier.
Asia unleashed a powerful slash with her light katana, unleashing a powerful sword wave in the process.
The attacks all hit the barrier, shaking it violently before causing it to break.
"Ran!" Shin yelled.
"Yes, Master!" Ran raised her hand into the air and closed her fist.
A vortex of black flames raged around Yasuo before rapidly compressing into a sphere that violently exploded mere seconds later. The explosion rocked the entire hill at which the manor was situated on.
Parts of the Furude Manor were leveled in the explosion while the other was bathed in black flames. A raging inferno formed the backdrop of this final battle. Birds fled and the Mori-no-Ko retreated away from the raging black inferno of the house.
"Did we…?" Shin asked.
Asia scanned the flames, watching for any form of life that could have survived. While she was doubtful, she needed to be sure. However, her hopes were dashed when she heard the malicious tone of Yasuo coming from the fire.
"Mystic Gear Armament: Raijin."
Yasuo walked out of the blaze, surrounded by a dense aura of electricity-imbued touki. His hair was spiked up and his gauntlets had encased his entire arm. Blue markings spread across his body, glowing with an ethereal sheen that made him look all the more imposing. He opened his eyes, revealing slit azure irises.
The aura that radiated from Yasuo was on a completely different level than it was a few minutes ago.
"Shin… we need to-"
Kureha never finished her sentence. In the seconds it took her to say those words, Yasuo had bridged the gap between them with alarming speed and dug his fist into her solar plexus, knocking the air out of her.
She flew a considerable distance, smashing through the wall of the manor and landing deep in the forest behind the house.
"Kureha!" Shin yelled. "Tch! Mystic Gear Armament-"
Shin never finished his chant. Yasuo had darted towards him, throwing a rapid punch.
It took every bit of Shin's awareness and battle experience to dodge the attack if only by a microscopic amount. He performed several backflips at rapid speed in order to gain some distance between him and Yasuo.
"Sousei Onigari-Ryuu: Winchester!" Shin yelled as he jumped into the air.
He shifted Failnacht into a rifle before firing a powerful bolt of energy at Yasuo.
The lightning around Yasuo's body intensified. In a burst of sheer speed, Yasuo disappeared with a resounding boom as he broke the sound barrier several times over.
The bolt had missed by just a minute span of time impacted the ground violently, causing a small yet violent explosion.
"Guns… so uncouth."
Shin whirled around, hearing a voice coming from behind him. He gripped Hirume tightly and spun around to try and slash the person from behind but was unable to.
Yasuo drove his elbow into the small of Shin's back, causing the younger man to gasp out in pain.
"Onii!" Asia spread her wings and flew towards them at breakneck speeds.
Yet, even then, she was not fast enough.
Yasuo followed up by rapidly spinning Shin to face him and grabbed his head. He kneed Shin in the jaw, causing the boy's eyes to roll into the back of his head, and effectively knocked him unconscious.
"O- Onii!" Asia rushed over and caught Shin before he could hit the ground. She gently lowered him to the ground. "RAN!"
Ran sprinted over and knelt next to her unconscious master. She touched two fingers to Shin's carotid artery and sighed in relief. "He's just unconscious…"
"Heal him. I'll hold off Yasuo," Asia said, getting up.
"What? Are you insane!?" Mori screamed.
"Eh? But Master Asia! You don't have a Mystic Gear!" Ran said in concern.
"I'll be fine. Just protect Onii," Asia said to both of them.
"Master, why? Why are you trying so hard? Can't you see… this is the same as it was all those years ago. Nothing's changed at all! Why are you so intent on sacrificing yourself for people you barely know!?" Mori said.
Because… they're my family. I said… that I don't want to be a burden to them. That I want to be selfish and hold on to what's mine. That's why I can't let them get hurt anymore! Asia replied.
"So little girl, what will it be?" Yasuo arrogantly sauntered up to her, sizing her up. After a few seconds of leering at Asia, he determined that she was not a threat.
Asia clenched her jaw. Her green eyes glowed ominously and her wings spread widely. Her halo began to glow and the light katana in her hands glowed with even greater luminosity.
"Tch! Like hell I will!" Asia yelled.
"I guess we're finishing this the hard way-"
Yasuo froze when he sensed an overwhelming pressure closing in on the household.
"Tch! Akari and Rowan. I guess I have no choice…"
"Huh?" Asia prepared herself for an attack.
However, it was an attack she couldn't see. The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, vision fading. A faint recollection of what had happened mere milliseconds ago had come to the front of her mind.
Yasuo had struck her from behind, striking her neck.
As her vision began to fade, she saw Ran being restrained with several powerful charms. The girl roared and growled, sending bursts of black flame at Yasuo.
"Let my Master go!"
Asia heard a voice calling out to them. She saw Mori hovering in front of them. A powerful aura radiated from her body.
"Tch… another Shikigami," she heard Yasuo click his tongue.
Mori summoned her black katana and pointed it at Yasuo.
"Ah ah ah! Not another step. Unless you want your Master's guts spilled all over the ground," Yasuo said.
The heavy feeling of his boot on the back of her head only served to intensify the pain she felt and the growing pull of unconsciousness.
Mori growled before lowering her sword hesitantly.
"Good."
She felt him grab her and hoist her on his shoulder. And as he walked away, Asia weakly reached out to the unconscious Shin, Mori, and the bound Ran.
"Onii… Ran… Mori…"
And with that, she passed out.
"Asia…"
Shin's eyes slowly opened. A smoky night sky greeted him as he slowly sat up, wincing as the pain from Yasuo's blows came back. His jaw ached from where the man's knee struck him.
"Master!"
"Shin!"
"Wha… Onee?"
Shin saw his older sister kneeling in front of him with a worried expression on her face.
Akane rushed forward and hugged him tightly. Shin hugged her back just as tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
"Onee, I failed! They… They took Asia!" Shin said.
"Shhh, shhh, it's okay," Akane soothed.
"Kureha! And Ravel!" Shin pulled out of the hug. "Are they…?"
"We're fine," Ravel said.
Shin turned around and saw Ravel standing next to Riser. Kureha waved at him as she sat on the ground. Her Shikigami, Tenka, sat in her lap.
Behind them, Shin noticed his parents and aunt extinguishing the black flames. Vivi hovered behind them, helping them douse the flames by generating massive amounts of water.
"I gotta…" Shin began to get up, fighting off the dizziness that had besieged him the moment he tried to move.
"Shin, wait! Calm down!" Akane quickly got to her feet, prepared to support her brother in case he lost his balance.
"I can't… I have to… I have to go save Asia," Shin said.
"What? Shin, are you insane?" Akane said.
"No, Onee. I gotta… I gotta go save her. I promised I'd keep her safe," Shin said.
"Shin, I'm not letting you go," Akane said.
Shin ignored her and began walking towards the gate of the manor.
"Shin!" Akane walked after him. She quickly got in front of her brother and held her arms out. "You're hurt. You can't expect me to let you go out there and fight Shuen by yourself!"
Shin bit his lip and balled his fists tightly until he drew blood from the palm of his hand.
"Then what the hell are we supposed to do!? Are we just supposed to let Shuen do whatever they want with her!? Haven't you been paying attention, Onee? The people they kidnap don't come back! I'm not going to just sit here while our sister is out there!" Shin said.
Akane glared at her younger brother. "And you think I don't know that? What are you even going to do once you get there? Just walk in and expect them to stand down?"
"Tch… are you… are you really bringing this up now?" Shin asked.
"Bringing what up?" Akane raised an eyebrow.
"That I'm not…"
"God no! Get your head out of your ass and look at yourself in the mirror!" Akane said, grabbing the collar of her brother's shirt. "Do you think I don't think you can handle yourself? No! You're injured, you dumbass! If you're gonna go after her… at least get healed first! Instead, you're jumping to conclusions about how I see you… again!"
She pushed him back, causing Shin to stumble and fall on his butt.
Shin looked down at the ground in shame. He was doing it again. Even after everything, he was still struggling to step forward. And his older sister was right.
Shin balled his right hand into a fist before raising it and punching himself in the face.
Akane's eyes widened and she grabbed his wrist, holding it back.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Akane said.
"I'm sorry… I was wrong… I was just…" Shin began.
Akane smiled and flicked his forehead. "I know. I understand," she said.
"Thanks, Onee," Shin said.
"Do you still want to go after Asia?" Akane asked.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Then…" Akane reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial of red liquid and handed it to Shin. "I'm not comfortable with letting you go but, if you really insist, then I guess I have to get over what happened four years ago as well."
"Onee?" Shin looked at her with a confused expression.
"Hear this, Akane Faulkner, First of the Seven Stars, you are holding him back."
Akane closed her eyes and steeled her resolve. She opened her eyes and gazed into her brother's.
"The thing that happened between us… you heard it when Asia and I talked. I can't let what happened four years ago affect how I treat you. It's not fair to you that you're the only one resolving to take that first step so let your Onee take that step with you," Akane said.
"Onee…" Shin was at a loss for words.
"Riser and I will keep things under control here in Serikawa. Without a doubt, they'll come back and find the rest of the non-Furudes," Akane said.
Shin nodded and gripped the Phoenix Tears in his hand. "I'll bring her back," Shin said.
"I know you will but… if you need help, Hikari will be there following you," Akane said.
As soon as she said that, a swirl of red flames appeared on Akane's shoulder. A black raven with red eyes and three legs sat on her shoulder. It tilted its head when it saw Shin and let out a loud caw.
Shin nodded and got to his feet.
"Shin."
He saw Kureha and Ravel taking a step towards him.
"We're going too," Kureha said.
"Asia's my friend. I can't just leave her there," Ravel added.
"You guys… alright, let's-"
"I'll go."
The group turned to see Mori manifesting herself before them.
"You're Asia's Shikigami," Shin said.
"I… This was all my fault. I couldn't do anything to keep them from taking her… if only I… if only I had…" Mori clenched her fists.
Her eyes changed colors into a blazing shade of red.
"I'm going."
Shin stared at her for a mere second before nodding.
"Alright," he replied.
"I know where they are," Mori said.
"Y- You do?" Kureha asked.
"Shikigami can locate their masters in an instant," Akane said. "I don't doubt that this dragon knows where she is."
"Dragon?" Shin asked.
"Yes, that girl is a dragon. Ask her on your way there. There's no time," Akane urged.
"Right," Shin nodded.
"Then?" Mori said.
"Let's go. Let's go save our sister," Shin said.
Yasuo Amawaka
The leader of the Amawaka Clan and the Sire of Shuen.
He seeks a pure paradise for the village of Serikawa, free of what he deems as impure blood.
Having once lost to Akari Furude, Yasuo bears immense animosity toward her and anyone remotely related to her.
To achieve his goals of creating a paradise, Yasuo seeks to steal the power of the Fragmenting Black Dragon.
Only a few more chapters until the end of this arc. As I said in the previous chapter, in the next arc, we'll be back with the main cast.
There are a few things in these past 2 chapters I would like to address.
Change is not easy as you can see. Shin slipped back into his complex toward his older sister. He'll do this a few more times over the series. But the point is that he is growing from a child whose jealousy and idolization of his older sister to being someone who is his own person and not someone defined by someone else.
Diodora. I am aware that Asia's character development was closely tied to Diodora in canon but that's not the case here. She did mention Diodora last chapter but he has no presence in this arc. When he will appear, I will confirm that he is in the next arc but his role is pretty much... well, I'm sure you've all either read the LN or watched the anime. In this arc, Asia's development was closely tied to her getting used to her new family and to Mori.
I think that's all for now. To answer some questions that some people had in the reviews:
Can the Seven Stars bring down an entire pantheon?
Yes and no. Yes to the fact that their skillsets, strengths, and their Law allows them to match the entire military might of an entire pantheon but if you mean, can they defeat every god on the planet, then no. Part of the reason they remain neutral is because one pantheon having one is an unfair advantage against the others. Azazel described the Seven as Supernatural Nukes and for good reason.
Are the original Beelzebub and Asmodeus also not demons?
No... they are Devils. Leviathan is the only one.
Why is Til Midnight gone?
Because it is.
Anyway, that's the end of this quick Q&A session. I'll see you all in the next chapter.